Although Aruk was strong, his eye for finding fish was only mediocre.
To be able to get this level of quality in this kind of weather, it can only be because of this person.
"It's good that everyone is alright."
Old Kash pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shook one out, and handed it to Su Wei.
This is a very high level of courtesy.
Su Wei took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear.
" Aruk is a very steady navigator."
With a simple sentence, he saved face for his old friend.
Aruk grinned foolishly beside him, even happier than if he had caught the fish himself.
At this moment, fishmongers who had heard the news rushed over and surrounded them.
The leader was a fat man wearing a waterproof apron; he was one of the biggest seafood buyers in the area, nicknamed George the Vampire.
"Wow, look at these treasures!"
George struggled to squeeze through the crowd, his fat jiggling with each movement.
He leaned over the gunwale, reached out and pressed the largest halibut, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"Perfect hardness, timely bloodletting. Aruk, you're something else."
George turned around and took a calculator out of his jacket pocket.
"It's tough for everyone these days. I'll give you $6 a pound for the black cod and $7 for the snow crab. These two large flatfish... since they're so big, I'll take a loss and buy them both at $9 a pound."
The surrounding fishermen booed.
While the price isn't outrageous, it's not fair either, especially considering those two excellent-quality black cod, which could fetch at least $7.50 in the market.
Just as Aruk was about to argue, a hand blocked his way.
Su Wei stood in front of George, without looking at the calculator.
"The big one isn't for sale."
He pointed to the 250-pound Pacific Ocean halibut.
George paused for a moment, then frowned.
"Young man, this fish loses value every minute it's out of water. You want to keep it for yourself? The meat is too tough; it's only good for making specimens."
"It has a label."
Su Wei bent down and pointed to the inconspicuous yellow plastic sign behind the fish's gill cover.
It is engraved with a serial number: FG-2009-AK-442.
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
That's a research marker from the Alaska Fish and Game Department (ADFG).
"The standard for 2009."
Su Wei straightened up, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around him to hear clearly.
"According to regulations, this fish must first be handed over to the Fish and Game Department for data collection. Whether it can be traded on the market depends on their feedback."
George's chubby face twitched.
Of course he knew this rule.
But these days, who really cares about that?
Just cut off the label, throw it into the refrigerated container, and you've got thousands of dollars in cash.
Who would give up a lucrative opportunity for so-called research data and a meager government reward?
" Su Wei, right?"
George lowered his voice, a slick smile typical of businessmen plastered on his face.
"Don't be so rigid. As long as that yellow tag is gone, it's just an ordinary fish. I can give you another five hundred dollars."
Five hundred US dollars.
For ordinary fishermen, this is a considerable temptation.
Aruk stood to the side, hesitatingly looking at Su Wei.
Su Wei remained silent.
He simply pulled the KA-BAR 1217 hunting knife from his waist.
The sharp blade flashed a cold light in the frigid wind.
George instinctively took a half step back.
Su Wei held the knife in the back of his hand, but instead of cutting the label, he gently scraped off a layer of seaweed mud from the surface of the label, making the serial number clearer.
"It's a veteran who's been swimming in the sea for over a decade, carrying out missions."
Su Wei sheathed his sword with a crisp click.
"To turn it into an unregistered entity for five hundred yuan? I wouldn't do something like that."
After saying that, he took out his phone and took a clear picture of the label.
A few low murmurs of admiration rose from the crowd.
Old Kash stood to the side, took his hand out of his pocket, and patted Su Wei's shoulder forcefully.
The force was great, as if expressing a silent approval.
"Well done."
Old Kash exhaled a smoke ring, turned his head, and glared at George.
"Did you hear that, Fatty? I'm not selling you this fish."
George, having been rebuffed, was grumbling and preparing to discuss the remaining goods when a voice with a heavy French accent interrupted.
"A truly brilliant principle."
The crowd parted again.
A man wearing a dark gray cashmere coat and a plaid scarf walked over.
He was around forty years old, his hair was neatly combed, and even on the fishy-smelling dock, his brown leather shoes were still polished to a shine.
Laurent La Laroche.
The owner and head chef of Chart Room, a Michelin- recommended restaurant in town.
It's said that this guy is extremely picky about ingredients, and often berates suppliers harshly for not being fresh enough in a fish.
Laurent ignored the mountain of black cod and went straight to the marked fish that Su Wei had protected.
He crouched down and gently pressed the middle section of the fish with his long, slender fingers.
The muscles rebounded quickly, and a firm sensation was felt at the fingertips.
"The bloodletting was perfect. The temperature control was just like it was done in a laboratory."
Laurent stood up, took out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hands, and looked at Su Wei.
"I'll pay double for the one with the tag."
Su Wei raised an eyebrow.
"I just said..."
No, you've misunderstood.
Laurent waved his hand, a graceful smile appearing on his face.
"I mean, once the Fish and Game Department has collected its data, if they allow this fish to enter the market, I'll pay double the price. If they want to recall it, I'll buy the remaining one."
He pointed to the slightly smaller but still 200-pound behemoth next to him.
"As for these black cod and snow crabs..."
Laurent glanced around the cabin and sniffed the air.
"No diesel smell, no crush marks. This is rare in commercial fishing. I'll take them all."
George panicked.
" Laurent, this is against the rules. I was here first."
"Rule?"
Laurent turned his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
"The price you offered is an insult to these ingredients. That's my rule."
He looked at Su Wei again and directly gave a number.
"Black cod $8, snow crab $10. That 200-pound halibut, I'll give it to you for $12 a pound. As for the one with the tag, if it's mine, it's $3000, no questions asked."
Su Wei quickly calculated in his mind.